Transferring information

1. Apparatus for transferring information from a first radio telephone to a second radio telephone, comprising: first communication means for communicating with the first radio telephone; second communication means for communicating with the second radio telephone; and data transfer means for communicating between the first and second communication means and operable under the control of the second radio telephone for reading information from the first radio telephone and transmitting that information to the second radio telephone, wherein the data transfer means includes telephone comparison means for reading type information from the first and second radio telephones and inhibiting transfer of information between the radio telephones if the type information is incompatible.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data transfer means is operable to verify that the information has been stored correctly by the second radio telephone and, if so, deleting at least some of the information from the first radio telephone.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data transfer means comprises display control means for controlling a display of the second radio telephone when the second radio telephone is connected to the second communication means.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information includes user-defined configuration information.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information includes identification information.

6. A method for transferring information from a first radio telephone to a second radio telephone, comprising the steps of: receiving a transfer initiation signal from the second radio telephone; reading information from the first radio telephone; transmitting that information to the second radio telephone for storage by the second radio telephone; and wherein the transmitting step includes steps of comparing reading type information from the first and second radio telephones, and inhibiting transfer of information between the radio telephones if the type information is incompatible.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, comprising the steps of: verifying that the information has been stored correctly by the second radio telephone; and, if so, deleting at least some of the information from the first radio telephone.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, comprising the step of controlling the display of the second radio telephone.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, comprising the steps of: reading type information from the first and second radio telephones; and inhibiting transfer of information between the radio telephones if the type information is incompatible.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising steps of employing a data transfer unit for comparing the first radio telephone with a model of the first radio telephone, and verifying that the first radio telephone is of a type suitable for transferring data via the data transfer unit to the second telephone.

11. Apparatus for transferring information from a first radio telephone to a second radio telephone, the second radio telephone being operable with proper operation and the first radio telephone having defective operation, the apparatus comprising: first communication means for communicating with the first radio telephone; second communication means for communicating with the second radio telephone; and data transfer means for communicating between the first and second communication means and operable under the control of the second radio telephone for reading information from the first radio telephone and transmitting that information to the second radio telephone; and wherein the data transfer means is operative to provide for a deletion of information in the first radio telephone to avoid a common identity for the first radio telephone and the second radio telephone.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the data transfer means includes telephone comparison means for reading type information from the first and second radio telephones and inhibiting transfer of information between the radio telephones if the type information is incompatible.

13. A method for transferring information from a first radio telephone to a second radio telephone, comprising the steps of: connecting a data transfer device between the first telephone and the second telephone; receiving, at the data transfer device, a transfer initiation signal from the second radio telephone; reading, by the data transfer device, information from the first radio telephone; transmitting, by the data transfer device, that information to the second radio telephone for storage by the second radio telephone; and at the data transfer device, deleting information in the first radio telephone to avoid a common identity for the first radio telephone and the second radio telephone.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the transmitting step includes steps of comparing, via the data transfer device, reading type information from the first and second radio telephones, and inhibiting transfer of information between the radio telephones if the type information is incompatible.